Repair Costs and School Bond

We would like to address some issues Jere Robings raised in his March 15 letter regarding Measure V, so the voters of this community can understand the truth.

We have 14 schools that need to replace sandboxes for safety reasons in the Conejo Unified School District. They also need to replace deteriorating parking lots, fix leaky roofs, renovate restrooms, build classrooms, and the list goes on.

To install a sandbox alone costs approximately $25,000. The quality equipment that meets the U.S. Consumer Safety Commission’s standard costs a minimum of $40,000 for enough to fill a 4,000-square-foot sandbox. Yes, when children go out for recess, they do need something to play on to expend energy so they can concentrate in the classroom. Keep in mind that these sandboxes, when installed, will serve hundreds of children each year for the next 20 to 30 years.

Mr. Robings expressed concern that the time to pay for the bond exceeds the life of potential air-conditioning units to be installed. Let’s be realistic. Air-conditioning is not the only thing this bond will pay for. Neither is this bond issue about paying a gardener, as Mr. Robings alluded. It is about paying for critical major repairs, including safety improvements of the fields and replacing old trees of excessive height plus building new classrooms, replacing roofs and parking lots and repairing bathrooms. It is a fact of life that the state does not provide enough for the districts to keep up with these needs.

We invite Mr. Robings to go to the school sites and see the problems firsthand that his grandchildren have to look forward to. We are sure he’ll get quite an education.

KATHY BELAK-BERGER and REGINA RIGSBEE, Thousand Oaks

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I urge your readers in Moorpark to take the time and make a commitment to vote for Measure W on April 14.

Our high school facilities are becoming severely strained. As new and larger classes from both Chaparral and Mesa Verde enter high school, the high school population is projected to outgrow our classroom space. The time to meet the anticipated need is now.

Keep the high quality of our students’ education and vote “yes” on Measure W. Don’t leave it to the “other guy.”

STEVE ROBERTSON

Teacher, Moorpark High School, Moorpark